as fast as you can.

Taylor was quick to toss back her suppressant before she left her apartment. It wasn't the best, in downtown San Francisco, but it was her own. She paid the rent, she paid the bills, she bought her own food. She didn't have to worry about Henry watching her every move. He had seemed like a knight in shining armour in the beginning. Taylor had been so against settling down with an alpha because she'd grown up on the horror stories of what a bad alpha was capable of. They could control everything about an omega if they so pleased.

That was the last thing she'd wanted. She wanted to live independently, she wanted to be able to think for herself, and it had seemed like Henry was content with that. He'd treated her like a princess, doted on her in all the right ways that made her heart flutter. Had lowered her walls until she found herself claimed by Henry, his mark on her neck.

It had seemed like things switched in the span of a few hours because the next day, Henry's attitude had completely changed. She lived her life in fear because either Henry was going to be angry about something she did or something that happened out on a mission and he'd use her as an outlet for his anger. She learned to live her life according to her rules. She no longer wore clothes that could be deemed remotely provocative, she no longer went out without Henry by her side, she watched what she ate. She had to stay healthy to one day carry Henry's pup.

The day she'd left, Taylor hadn't been planning it. He'd lashed out at her for talking to another alpha the night before at one of his coworker's parties. She'd known it was wrong almost before she did it and she didn't need to look at Henry to know the anger that was brewing behind his eyes.

She'd run the next day. Henry had left because he had something to tend to. He never told her what he was going out for and she never asked, not anymore. Taylor hadn't even thought of the ramifications as she shoved a few clothes into a bag before sneaking out of the tower, hoping to be long gone before Henry returned.

Taylor had taken trains and buses across the country until she was on the other side. As far as she could get from Henry. And she started her life there. She got a job waitressing, started taking supplements so she didn't need to worry about her heat or any unruly alphas, and for the first time in years, she lived freely.

It had been a long shift on a Friday night at the restaurant. By the time Taylor made it home, it was nearly three in the morning and her feet ached. She was exhausted, ready to slip under the covers on her bed and sleep through the morning, straight into the morning.

She knew something was wrong but she brushed it off as nothing more than the shady area that she lived in as she made her way up to her top floor apartment, her brows furrowing as a hauntingly familiar scent hit her nose. Taylor stood in front of her door, her hand shaking so badly that she dropped her keys before she could unlock the door. Her heart stopped, her eyes widening as she eyed the door. She swallowed, her breathe hitching in the back of her throat as fear flooded her.

Her omega was begging to get inside, closer to the source of the scent and that seemed to cement the fear flowing through her veins. Taylor let out a small whimper as she took a step back, her grip tightening on her purse. No.

Omegas don't just get to leave their alphas.

It had been such an embarrassment for Henry. Coming home after a long, hard mission, one that had kept him away from her for two days. He had missed her so much, the touch of her skin, her scent. He had been so excited to come home, expecting Taylor to be there, with dinner ready. That, or he had been expecting to find her nesting, curled up with pillows all around her, in his closet. Completely surrounded in his scent.

Instead, Henry had come home to an empty, dark apartment. Before he had even unlocked the door, his blood had already run cold. Something was wrong, he could smell Taylor in the driveway. Pushing the front door open, he felt himself frozen in the door way. The inside of his home was dark, everything tinted blue by the night sky coming through the windows. Not many things were missing. Some of her clothes, little things like her hairbrush and her shampoo were gone.

Taylor had run away from him. After they had bonded.

How could he tell his friends, his family, his co-workers? What would they say when they found out? Henry would look pathetic. He had to find her before any of that could happen.

Finding her had might've taken longer than he would've liked, but now that he was sitting on her bed, half away across the country, Henry found he was much more patient. When he caught her scent outside the apartment door, he straightened his posture, looking through her open bedroom door into the living room. The little apartment she had found here was small, run down and it almost angered him to know she had been living in something like this. All to get away from him. His jaw clenched when he heard her drop the keys, step backwards and even whimper, but he forced himself to rise to his feet.

Would she try to run from him? Moving into the living room, his gaze trained on the door, he wondered if he should open it for her. Right now, it seemed she was frozen in fear on the other side, in the dim hallway, but if he opened it opened the door for her, would she try to bolt? His hands were trembling. From nerves, from anger, Henry wasn't sure. Part of him was so relieved and even happy that he had found her, but there was a louder part that was furious for what she had put him through. Missing so much work, trailing her across the country, embarrassing him...

He stepped up to the door and unlocked it, his hand bracing the doorknob. Slowly, he pulled it open and let his eyes fall on Taylor. Swallowing around the lump in his throat, it was taking every part of him to resist. "Found you." He whispered, stepping out of the way so she could come inside. "Get in here, Taylor," he almost growled, his voice dipping as he watched her out in the hall.

@ castle.

Taylor was trying to will herself to turn and start running down the hall, away from Henry and try to put as much distance between them as she possibly could. She was utterly terrified of what was standing on the other side of the door. She knew that Henry wasn't going to be the kind and loving alpha that she had fallen in love with. He would be the alpha that had sent her running, completely terrified of what Henry was going to do when he got his hands on her again. Her stomach twisted and she turned, only to freeze when she heard the lock click and the door start to open.

Tears welled in her eyes as she gulped, turning back toward her apartment reluctantly. Taylor couldn't bring herself to look up, sure that she would see everything that she had been afraid to see if she met his eyes. His voice made her heart race as it dipped. "Y-You.. you can't be here," she tried to speak, whimpering as her legs moved of their own accord. Taylor's shoulders pulled together as her grip remained tight on her purse. It was the only safety net that Taylor felt like she had.

She had worked so hard on trying to stay as far from Henry as she could be. Taylor had been taking suppressants since she had run, masking her scent and preventing her heats. It had been so long since she had been with Henry that her mark was all but gone, hardly noticeable. Taylor reached up instinctively, pressing her hand against her neck. She took another step forward, wincing as the apartment door shut behind her. Her eyes flickering to the window in her living room. Could she make it over there and have it open and be through it before Henry caught her? No, she knew that.

"H-Henry.. you can't be here. Y-You.. you have to leave," Taylor forced the words out, trying to appear far braver than she felt at the moment. Squeezing her eyes shut, Taylor willed herself to calm down. How long had Henry been here? Had he seen the supply of suppressants in her bathroom? Perhaps the even worse part to her was that she felt ashamed of Henry seeing her apartment. It was run-down but it was all she could afford on her tips. It wasn't good, no, but it was her own.

Henry pushed the door closed the moment Taylor stepped inside, all but slamming it before he locked it again. He could hear the sob that threatened to break from her throat, the poor girl scared stiff. "I shouldn't be here?" Henry repeated her words, doing his best to remain calm, but when she tried telling him he had to leave... Trying so hard to refrain from laying his hands on her, so soon after finally laying his eyes on her again.

"We bonded." His words bitter on his tongue, almost regretting the decision to make her his. All the trouble that she had put him through, trying to escape him after he had placed his mark on her. Had she been with someone else? It had been so long that his scent was completely washed from her, the bite on her neck probably completely disappeared. No sign that she was claimed. She could've been marketing herself off to any other man and the thought alone had him grinding his teeth.

In one quick motion, Henry pinned Taylor against the nearest wall. One hand anchored next to her head, his other gently gripping her throat as he pressed himself against her. "You're mine, do you hear me?" He whispered into her ear, so close that her scent was driving him wild. It had been so long, he had refrained for so long... Tilting her head to the side, Henry's hand left her throat, caressing up the side of her face to cradle her head as he nuzzled against her throat. He rubbed his scent glands against her rigorously, a low growl emitting from the back of his throat to let her know just how pissed off he was. She had to smell like him, she belonged to him. The thought of her without him, working in some shitty diner, surrounded by alphas and betas who thought she could be claimed. He wanted to rip her throat out, beat her head into the wall, make her beg for mercy for the stupidity she was putting him through. "Mine," he growled, his teeth nipping at her jaw as he wanted to give himself time to revel in her scent.

But it was so hard to catch on to. It was muffled, and even pressing his face into her neck, against her own scent glands, he could barely catch her sweet scent. Had she been taking suppressants? It couldn't come as a surprise to him, of course she had been. No wonder it had taken him so long to track her. "Smart girly," he whispered, pressing his head against hers. "But I've found you, and now, you're coming home."

Being so close against her like this, even if he couldn't catch her scent like he wanted, still Henry found himself slipping. His cock throbbing in his jeans, pressing against the fabric as it hardened. His lips trailed along her jaw, his hand tightening it's grip in her hair, forcing another whine to escape her throat. It was almost impossible to hold himself back, feeling how his body warmed over at just the thought of her. His free hand slid down her side, forcing the purse from her shoulder. It crashed to the floor, the contents of the bag spilling everywhere. He barely glanced down at it as he slipped his hand under her shirt, craving to feel her skin. He had missed her so much, even if he wouldn't admit it to her.

@ castle.

Taylor could pick up on Henry's mood shifts even if he had been completely silent. Even if he hadn't repeated her words in a voice that made her blood run cold. His scent was turning sour, instead of the leather and chocolate that she had fallen in love with. His scent was becoming charred, his anger only seeming to escalate when Henry mentioned that they had bonded. Tears welled in her eyes at that and she felt like a complete and utter failure. She had been his omega... but she had hurt him. Her bottom lip wobbled but before she could respond otherwise, Henry had her pinned against the wall they were near.

Her back arched as she shivered, trying to press herself closer to Henry. Even if she wanted no part of this, her omega was begging Henry to touch her. She was desperate to feel his hands on her. His scent masking her as he fucked her into the bare mattress that she had begun to call her bed. Taylor whined as she tilted her head back, baring her throat to Henry. All but inviting him to claim her, despite her own reservations. Henry growled and that had been all it took for a surge of panic to wash over her, reminding her of the trouble that she was in. Henry wasn't going to let her even leave the apartment without him for the rest of their lives, she was almost sure of it.

The promise of going home should have made her happy. It should have warmed her heart to know she was going home with her alpha but it didn't. It terrified Taylor and she couldn't help but sniffle, reaching up a shaky hand to wipe at her tears that threatened to fall. Henry had always hated her crying, he'd always said that she brought the punishments upon herself by not being a proper omega. Taylor had never been the traditional omega that some alphas wanted. She had wanted to work, she had wanted to go out into the world on her own, she had wanted to do things without having to wait around for Henry's permission. Taylor had thought she had found an alpha that was okay with an omega who had their own thoughts and opinions... until it had been too late for her to leave. after he had claimed her. After she had given herself to him.

"Alpha, 'm sorry," Taylor whimpered out an apology. Her instincts were begging her to present for him, to submit and show him that he could be everything that Henry needed her to do. But if she did that, Taylor would lose herself and she simply couldn't do that.. She would hate everything about her life. "P-Please," she whined as his hands roamed beneath her shirt. Her hands shot to his, trying to stop it in its path. "D-Don't.. don't do this. N-Not... not like this, alpha. Please!"

Henry's tongue gently licked over his bottom lip, before his mouth curled up in a snarl as she cried. Her hands shot to his, trying to stop them in their tracks, but that only served to push him further. "You don't expect me to reclaim what's mine?" He barked, his hand twisting in the fabric of her shirt before he completely tore it from her body. His hands roamed back up her torso, her hands still fighting against him.

Loosening his grip from her hair, Henry returned his hand to her throat. His thumb gently brushed over her neck as he leaned in, pressing his lips to her pleading mouth. Anything to shut her up. His hips bucked into her, "Be a good girl, Omega." His voice dipped, demanding her to stop fighting against him. He would reclaim what was his. He let a hand slip down her side, forcefully unbuttoning her jeans before he tugged them down her hips. He pressed himself firmly against her wiggling body so she could feel his hardness throbbing against her.

One hand slipped between her trembling thighs, his fingers pushing past the crotch of her underwear as they teased her slit. She was so wet, slick to the touch. She could beg him all she wanted, plead and beg for him to stop, but still her body craved him. It was clear she felt some need to be a good girl, but for some reason, she was rejecting her inner omega. Henry's lips trailed down her jaw and he nipped along the skin of her neck, before he completely pulled away.

"Bend over on the bed for me, Omega," Henry demanded, his voice dipping. He dared her to try and disobey him. He watched her, his blue eyes raking over her body. A few tears had escaped, leaving little tracks down her face, and even if one part of him wanted to wipe her them away, he wouldn't allow himself to. She had tried to leave him. He would never admit to her how it had hurt him. The omega he had chosen to bond with, leaving him? The one he wanted to carry his pups one day, to build a life with had tried running from him... He didn't care how she cried. He would take back what was his.

@ castle.

Taylor choked back a sob as her shirt was torn from her body. She knew that there was no avoiding what Henry was going to want to do but that didn't mean she couldn't ask him to be more gentle with her. He didn't have to hurt her, did he? She wanted to ask and she might have if she had been brave enough but she wasn't. His hand wrapping around her throat was all she needed to go stiff against the wall. She leaned into the kiss as much as his grip would allow, shuddering as Henry's hips pressed against her. She lifted her legs, one at a time so that Henry could pull her jeans off of her body. She knew that obeying him and doing as she was told was of the utmost importance. If she didn't please Henry in some regard, tonight would only get worse for her.

"Alpha," she drawled, letting out a small whine as she spread her thighs. Taylor tried to create more friction against her clit. She might not have wanted this but her body couldn't deny an alpha. Certainly not Henry. Her lips went slack as Henry motioned her toward the bedroom. Her gaze darkened as she nodded, twisting around before she all but rushed into her bedroom. The sight she was met with made her stomach churn. The small dresser in the corner with a mattress that didn't even have sheets on it. Taylor was ashamed because she was sure Henry wasn't the least bit happy.

Bending over on the bed, Taylor buried her face into the mattress. She started to reach down to slide her panties off but thought better of it. Henry was already os upset, she wasn't about to risk the tiniest thing upsetting him. Instead, Taylor spread her thighs, arching her back as she wriggled her hips from side to side, trying to entice Henry. Maybe if she could calm Henry, he would fall asleep and then she could make a run for it. It wasn't as if she would get pregnant, she was still on suppressants.

"Alpha, please," Taylor mumbled lowly. It was all she could give, bracing herself against the mattress. She wanted to look behind her to see what Henry was doing but she didn't dare so much as move anything other than her hips.

Henry stepped into the room, his hands already drawing his belt from around his jeans. It dropped to the floor as he moved closer to the bed, unbuttoning his pants and allowing his cock to spring forward. His gaze raked over her frame, admiring her body as her hips swayed. It was all he could focus on, doing his best to ignore the anger he felt from the conditions she was living in. His omega deserved better. She was his angel, his to protect and care for. This wasn't caring for her. The poor thing didn't even have sheets on her bed and curtains for her windows.

She had left him even if it meant living like this? Still, seeing how easily she obeyed him, readying herself on the mattress for him. That was enough to keep him focused on what was in front of him.

His hand pumped his cock, wondering if she had missed at least this part of him as he crawled onto the bed behind her. His hands reached for her panties, twisting the thin fabric before ripping it in two. The pieces fell from her hips to the mattress below her and Henry reached out to grab her hips firmly. Positioning himself behind her, seeing how glistening her cunt was before him, he pressed the tip of his cock against her opening. So slick, so warm. In one quick motion, he was inside of her. His girth stretching her open, even with how slick she was, it was still hard for her to accept all of him. It had been so long, he didn't remember her ever being so tight.

He could hear her breath catch in her throat, but he didn't go gentle on her. He forced his cock deep into her core, forcing her to take all of him. She tensed around him, and no matter how forceful Henry wanted to be with her, he found himself stroking her hips calmly, his thumbs drawing circles in her skin. "Relax, omega. You can handle me," he breathed, his head relaxing back as he enjoyed how she felt. So warm and soft around him, squeezing him tight as she ached for him. Oh, how he had missed her.

@ castle.

Taylor shivered as the mattress dipped beneath Henry's weight. She arched her hips, whimpering as his fingers brushed against her thigh before tearing her panties right from her body. Her eyes fluttered shut, a deep blush settling on her features. She could feel her slick, coating her inner thighs. Her body was desperate to feel Henry and have him claim her. Hissing sharply as Henry pressed into her, Taylor groan as her mouth fell open. Blindly reaching behind her, Taylor's hand settled on his wrist as she anchored herself to him. "A-Alpha," she moaned.

It had been so long since she laid with someone. Taylor hadn't been ready to start seeing someone that wasn't Henry - the last time she had been with anyone had been that fateful night that had spurred her to run from him. Even then, that couldn't have been described as enjoyable for her. She had ended the night in tears, shivering and curled in on herself as Henry slept beside her. She hadn't been able to find comfort that night because even trying to scent him in his sleep had terrified her. Was he going to be the same way after he claimed her?

Her worries were washed away as Henry snapped his hips forward. Taylor's breath caught as her toes curled, her nails digging into his wrist. "S-So.. big," Taylor managed to breathe, squeezing her eyes shut. She couldn't remember Henry ever being this big, had it really been that long? Starting to roll her hips against his, Taylor nearly wanted to cry with the gentle touch that he kept brushing against her skin. That was the sort of thing that her Henry would have done, anything to comfort her and make her feel loved. Even if they had disagreed about something. Maybe she was going to get lucky, maybe Henry wasn't going to hurt her that bad.. she could show him that she could be the omega he wanted. Then he wouldn't be so bad to her all the time. It was all her fault anyway. Deep down, Taylor knew that was her omega speaking but she couldn't seem to care. It was hard to think about anything other than the way Henry's cock filled her.

"P-Please.. a-alpha. Need you," Taylor moaned, twisting enough that she could look bag at him through hooded eyes. "Want your knot, alpha. Please!"

Henry groaned as he looked down at Taylor, his hand running up her back until his fingers could tangle in the strands of her hair. Hearing her beg for him, almost made him forget just how angry he had been at her. It almost erased the pain months and months of tracking her down had caused, all the money he had lost from taking off of work, the torture he would feel when ignoring his instincts, isolating himself away whenever he found himself in rut.

No matter how angry and disappointed he was with Taylor, she was still his omega. They had bonded. He hadn't wanted to mate with any one other than her.

He thrust deeply into her, finding he was pressing himself against her back. His arms wrapped around her torso, his hands fondling her breasts as he found himself deeper in her core. Trailing kisses along her shoulders, he panted, listening to her beg for him as she was pressed into the mattress. Squeezing his eyes shut tightly, Henry tried his best to keep going, finding himself drawing close to his edge. He felt his knot starting to expand at the base of his cock, and all he could do was thrust faster, burying his cock as deep as possible.

Henry couldn't help the guttural moan that left his lips as he knotted Taylor, holding her firmly against his chest as he filled his omega. His teeth raked her shoulder, before Henry sank his teeth into the space between her neck and shoulder. She was his, that had never changed. "Such a good girl," he breathed, kissing over the spot where he had just marked, still deep inside of her as he rolled onto his side. Pulling her close against his chest, he gently ran his fingers down her arms, still kissing over her shoulders.

"How could you ever run away from me...?" He whispered, his voice sickeningly sweet.

@ castle.

Already so close to the edge, Taylor cried out as Henry's teeth sank into her neck. Her cunt spasmed around him as pleasure rolled over her in sharp waves that caused her body to shudder beneath him. Sinking into the mattress when Henry buried his knot inside her, Taylor's body started to relax. She groaned as he pulled her against his chest, burying her face into his neck. She breathed in his scent, setting her hand on his chest. It wasn't until he whispered that she felt another surge of fear. Her eyes snapped open as she wiggled slightly as if she wanted to push distance between them before she realized all too quickly that they weren't going to be separating yet.

Taylor knew that she couldn't just completely ignore his question, it would only be seen as a sign of disrespect and that was the last thing she wanted. She went stiff beside him, wishing nothing more than she could disappear in the moment. Taylor knew how the truth would go but lying to him would only be worse because he'd drag the truth out of her and then punish her for lying as well as the truth. She couldn' bring herself to look up to Henry's gaze, curling in on herself as much as she could.

"I-I.. I was just.. I was just scared," Taylor tried to explain in a low voice. "Y-You just.. you changed.. you were always so angry all the time.. not..n-not like this," she explained, praying the last bit would be enough to convince Henry not to hurt her for everything that had happened. That it would be enough to convince Henry that he just wanted them to be the happy couple they had been in the beginning before Henry claimed her.

No matter how uncomfortable the mattress they laid on was, Henry wanted to let himself just sink further into it. He wanted to let his eyes fall closed and stay curled up behind Taylor as he slept. But he couldn't trust her. He feared he would wake up in the morning and find himself alone, again. Taylor long gone and then he would have to track her down again.

Letting his fingers brush gently over her stomach, he listened to her, finding the frown on his face growing larger. "It's not all my fault," he growled, finding his grip on her tightening. "You never took care of me," he shot back at her. He was always having to command her around, being left to fend for himself while she went to work or out with her friends. Henry thought he would've been okay with a more progressive omega, but it turned out he wasn't. He wanted to provide, to give her everything she needed so she could take care of him and the home, so she could focus on her carrying his pups some day.

His fingers traced circles around her stomach as he thought about her pregnant, her belly round with his pups. Why wasn't that all she wanted? Instead of wanting to be a working woman, to be equal to him. "Why can't you just submit to me?" He growled, nuzzling his head into her neck once again, rubbing his scent onto her. She would submit. Eventually. He would make her.

@ castle.

Taylor bit back a whimper as Henry's grip tightened on her. She tried to keep her tears at bay, feeling like her chest was tightening. It was hard for her to breathe as Henry continued to berate her. Her bottom lip wobbled but before she could start crying, Taylor bit it between her teeth. Her hope was dashed just as quickly as it appeared. With how afraid she was, Taylor wanted nothing more than to bury herself against him and find comfort in his arms but that was impossible when the source of her fear was him.

"Y-You.. hurt me so bad the night before. That's why I ran. I didn't want to! I love you! But I-I.. you just beat me because I talked to one of your coworkers like I would leave you for them!" Taylor's words were coming out rushed because all she could think about was that night. How angry Henry had been and how he'd hurt her. How he'd told her she was a failure, that she could never be perfect, how she needed to be better as he threw her around the room before pinning her against their bed.

She had never talked to anyone about it because she'd been afraid to tell anyone about Henry. "Y-YYou.. you don't trust me," she whispered, burying her face into her hands. She felt like nothing short of failure and it was breaking her heart. Making Henry happy was all she had really wanted to do but she hadn't been able to do that. What was wrong with her?

A low growl came from the back of Henry's throat, not much liking the way Taylor was throwing his jealousy up in his face. He couldn't help it. He didn't even like the idea of her speaking to another male, giving them any sort of attention when she was his little omega. It had only been fueled by the fact that he had felt less than, like he wasn't needed. With or without him, Taylor would be fine and that's what upset Henry the most. Omegas were supposed to need their alphas and Taylor didn't need him.

It was a hard truth to swallow, and he didn't want to. He might've been too rough with her, said something he shouldn't have, but he would never apologize. He was to set in his ways. "I do trust you," Henry frowned, finding it was all he could say to her. He couldn't apologize for what he had done and it didn't feel right to try to seem sorry for it. Forcing himself away from her, he sat up on the bed and ran a hand over his face, before his fingers raked through his hair.

"Go clean up," Henry wasn't much in the mood to give her any after care. He was trying to fight the urge to lay his hands on her, knowing that wouldn't help the situation right now. "We're going home. And ... While you're in the bathroom throw those fucking suppressants in the garbage." Henry turned his back to her, huffing as he tried to calm himself down.

@ castle.

Taylor shrank away from Henry when he growled, sending a chill down her spine. The acrid smell that was beginning to permeate her senses made her instincts begin to panic. Henry was angry, upset. It was her job as his omega to help him relax but she was too afraid to even move. His words did little to help her to relax because she could hear just how bitter he was. It made her stomach churn to think about.

The command left Henry’s lips and in the next moment, Taylor was on her feet and making her way toward the bathroom. Her movements slowed at the mention of her suppressants but still, Taylor nodded her head. She wasn’t about to disobey him at the moment. “Yes, alpha,” she murmured, hoping the title would chip away at Henry’s emotions.

Tossing the suppressants into the toilet made Taylor’s heart skip a beat. She flushed them and turned quickly, not wanting to watch them disappear as she climbed into the shower. She was quick to wash her body, being careful not to wash too much of Henry’s scent away before she climbed out. With a towel wrapped around her body, Taylor stepped into the bedroom.

The sight she was met with made Taylor freeze, her breathe caught in her throat. Henry was holding the leather jacket that had been hidden away in her closet - a gift from her manager so she would be protected on the wall home. “L-let me explain, alpha,” her words were rushed, desperate to explain before Henry lashed out at her. “I-my.. my manager gave it to me. To wear on the walk home or if I was in public so that alphas wouldn’t come onto me. T-that’s... that’s it. There’s nothing more. I swear!”

Staring at his hands while Taylor showered wasn't doing much to keep his mind from wondering about what his omega could've been doing this whole time. She had been out of his sight for months, acting as if she was unclaimed. Rising to his feet, Henry began moving about Taylor's room. He poked through her dressers and around the little desk before moving to her closet. Opening the small door, his hand went straight for the dark brown leather jacket. He had caught the faint dominant scent the moment he had stepped in front of the door. An alpha.

How long had he stood there? Just seething over the jacket until Taylor stepped out of the bathroom?

Henry was already gripping the leather feverishly, wanting to tear it to shreds in front of Taylor the moment she spoke up. Turning to face her fully, Henry gripped the collar of the jacket tightly in one fist. The way he saw it, this was a betrayal. Not only had she tried leaving him, but she accepted a gift a from another alpha? A jacket drenched in his disgusting scent, no less. "You're supposed to smell like me," Henry growled, dropping the jacket to the floor and glaring up at Taylor. "You gave yourself to me that night I marked you. You belong to me." He hissed, and before Taylor could even flinch, he had closed the distance between the two of them, his hand wrapped firmly around her throat.

Grabbing her shoulder harshly, Henry backed Taylor into a wall, slamming her into it. Leaning down so he was centimeters from her face. The tears that burned her eyes didn't do much to make him stop and think about how he was acting. His fingers tightened around her neck, more and more pressure... "Did you sleep with him?" Henry's voice was calm and slow, despite how his fingers dug into the side of her throat.

@ castle.

Taylor’s eyes burned with tears as Henry snapped at her. Her explanation seemed to have gone in one ear and out the other. Before she could even think of how else to respond, he had closed the distance between them and her back pressed painfully against the wall. Taylor whimpered, her hands shaking as she reached up to set her hands on Henry’s wrist. She didn’t try to pry his fingers away but she hoped the touch would do something. She tried desperately to push calming pheromones from her body but they were disguised by her fear.

Her heart plummeted at the accusation that left Henry’s lips. Taylor shook her head frantically, slumping against the wall. “N-No,” Taylor choked out, grimacing as Henry shoved her against the wall as if he was trying to force the truth from her. “H-He... he’s mated. Has... has an omega,” Taylor choked on her words, her face slowly turning red. Struggling against the wall, Taylor wasn’t the least bit surprised when her towel fell to the floor.

“J-Just... he.. wanted to m-make sure... I was safe,” Taylor wheezed, only now trying to pull his fingers away from her throat so she could get some sort of relief. “Alpha,” she whimpered as she gave up, a choked sob sounding from her lips. “Please.”

"Not like that matters to you," Henry snarled through his teeth when he mentioned her manager was mated. His didn't loosen his grip on her throat until she surrendered. Her hands fell away from pulling at his, begging for relief. Henry leaned in closer, his lips barely brushing against hers, still firmly holding her against the wall. The thought of her mating with someone else, their scent decorating her clothing, it was enough to drive him insane. It was something he would kill her over.

Stepping away from her, he tossed her towards the bed, watching as her body flailed. "You better not be lying to me," he growled, "no one is allowed to touch you, but me." His eyes raked over her trembling body, not caring for even a second how he frightened her. "Get up and pack your things. We're going home, now."

Henry leaned down and pulled the jacket up off the floor. His nose wrinkled when he caught scent of the stranger again, a rusty, metallic scent. Leaving the room with it, Henry threw it out before waiting for Taylor by the door. He hoped she had learned her lesson. That no matter where she went, he would follow. There was no escaping him. Underneath all of the anger he was feeling, Henry couldn't wait to get her back home though. Where she belonged. To try and continue on with their relationship.

@ castle.

Taylor whimpered, tilting her head back and trying to press herself closer to him as his lips brushed against hers. Her hands shook as she wrapped her fingers into the fabric of his shirt. She was desperate to get closer to him, trying to sate him. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked up to him. She watched as the anger developed on her face and she hated it. She was a mixture of afraid and feeling disgusted with her failure as an omega. She wanted to make him happy and yet she couldn't even accomplish that simple task.

She gasped as Henry threw her toward the bed. Taylor shook her head at his comment, already beginning to force herself to roll over. She was already preparing to present herself to him, fully expecting him to step forward and claim her all over again. Taylor's body was shaking, she wanted to hide away from him and protect herself but Henry being happy with her was far more important to her. Her heart was raising as he ordered her to dress and pack her things together but she laid there for several longer moments, wanting to be sure Henry's mind was completely made up.

Pushing to her feet, Taylor turned and was quick to pull on a pair of pants and a plain shirt. Both were clean, would smell like nothing but her laundry soap. She was quiet as hse packed her things into a bag. Most of her clothing was what she had taken with her, only a few pairs of jeans that she had bought since she had left Henry. When she emerged from the room, Taylor's head hung as she inched forward. It was clear just how hesitant she was even as she neared Henry. She stood in front of him, gulping as she clung to her bag.

"C-Can.. Can I.. call the diner? Just to let them know.. I won't be there tomorrow. Please?" Taylor's voice was quiet as she shrunk back, almost sure the request would be enough to upset him but not letting them know just seemed wrong.